The Wal-Mart truck driver allegedly responsible for a fatal accident with Tracy Morgan’s limo pleaded not guilty in a New Jersey courtroom Wednesday afternoon.
Kevin Roper, 35, could face up to 10 years in prison for death by auto and assault by auto charges after his tractor trailer swerved to avoid slow-moving traffic and plowed into Morgan’s limo on Saturday.
Morgan’s pal James McNair was killed in the fiery crash and Morgan remains in critical condition in Robert Wood Johnson Hospital with a broken femur, broken nose and several broken ribs. A criminal complaint alleges that Roper, of Jonesboro, Ga, hadn’t slept for more than 24 hours.
Roper wore a white dress shirt with dark slacks and brown oxfords and appeared relaxed throughout the five-minute court appearance at Middlesex County Courthouse.
He kept his lips locked after the proceeding, refusing to answer questions about whether the Twitter account under the name Kevin Roper is his or not. Immediately following the hearing, Roper appeared to go back on his account to rant some more.
The account, @kevinmoneytalks, mentioned the fatal auto accident involving R&B singer Brandy in December 2006. Brandy rear-ended a car on a Los Angeles freeway causing a chain-reaction crash. A 38-year-old mother of two was killed.
“Correct me if i’m wrong but didn’t @4everBrandy have an unfortunate “ACCIDENT” that resulted in a death? Was she jailed?” the tweeter asked.
The tweeter believes his case wouldn’t be as big of a deal if it didn’t involve a famous person.
“So let’s call it what it is. Middle class trucker trying to earn decent honest living has ACCIDENT with FAMOUS rich man’s. Media = HE GUILTY!”
The account posted a slew of tweets over the past few days related to the accident including a “statement on the unfortunate accident that happened Saturday” that claimed he was hit with felony charges because of Morgan’s fame.
Walmart had denied that Roper has a Twitter account, but the company admittedly was just taking his word for it. He and his lawyer did not answer questions at the court appearance.
Roper’s next court date was not announced.